Rochester, MI June 2, 2014 — Rochester Junior Woman’s Club (RJWC), along with the Greater Rochester Area Community Foundation, awarded Martha Benjaminsen of Stoney Creek High School and Carlton Hunter of Adams High School, both a $500 scholarship at the annual awards ceremony held May 21, 2014 at Stoney Creek High School Auditorium.

The Rochester Junior Woman’s Club Memorial Scholarship was established in 1994 to assist seniors from Rochester Community Schools. The recipients are selected based on their activities in community volunteerism and service during their high school careers as well as their overall grade point average.

Martha Benjaminsen will be attending Oakland University this fall majoring in General Business management. She has volunteered through the Stoney Creek Key Club, National Honors Society, and St. Andrew Church. Her favorite volunteer position was helping out in a Kindergarten class for Saint Andrew’s Religious Education.

“I enjoyed this age of students because they are excited to learn new things, and they always put me in a good mood,” said Benjaminsen, “I plan to continue my volunteer work with St. Andrew Church and with any local groups and events that fit my schedule. I enjoy volunteering my time because it makes me feel good, and I like giving back to my community.”

Carlton Hunter will be attending the University of Michigan this fall and plans on going into a field related to humanities or in the social sciences. She has been an active volunteer through Key Club and the National Honors Society.

“Through these programs, I have been able to volunteer at a variety community activities such as the Brooksie Way and Art and Apples. My favorite activity to volunteer at, by far, was with the McGregor Tutoring Program. Organized by Catherine Caputo and Patricia McCormick, a retired and current member of the McGregor staff, the a group of underprivileged elementary school students meets every Monday and Wednesday at the Rochester Estates Trailer Park to be tutored by high school volunteers. Over the years, I learned that the children needed more than just tutoring, but also friends to count on, and role models to look up to. This volunteer experience has most definitely inspired me to continue my work as a volunteer, and I hope to, one day, volunteer abroad, or even start my own nonprofit. I volunteer because I am hopeful for a brighter future, and I feel that giving what I can to people in need will, in turn, inspire them to give a little of whatever they can, to hopefully build a stronger community. I love thinking back upon the lives I’ve touched, and the smiles I have helped to create because it reminds me of the goodness that is possible to create in the world,” said Hunter.

The Rochester Junior Woman’s Club would like to congratulate both of these well deserving individuals and wish them well as they begin this new phase of their lives in the fall.

For over 50 years the Rochester Junior Woman’s Club has contributed to the growth and vitality of the community through volunteer service and donation of funds to local charities and organizations. Since its inception, the Rochester Junior Woman’s Club has donated more than 1 million hours of community service and raised more than $850,000 to support the local community.

If you are interested in learning more information about the club please contact Cyndi at (248) 941-7991 or catoupin@comcast.net. You can also visit their website at www.rjwc.org or follow them on Facebook at “Rochester Junior Woman’s Club.